Relationships

4 Reasons Why Men (& Women) Cheat

…plus, how to prevent your lover from cheating.

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Commonly Cited Reasons for Cheating

1. “We don’t have anything in common.”

The more different you and your partner are, the more likely one or both of you will cheat.

2. The relationship isn’t going well.

Okay, okay–I know I just said that a lot of times cheating happens in seemingly happy relationships, and that is true. However, being unsatisfied in a relationship increases the likelihood of cheating. In this scenario, women are more likely to cheat in order to establish a new relationship (and escape the old one), whereas men are more likely to cheat for the thrill of the moment without future plans.

4 Reasons Why Men (& Women) Cheat

3. The cheater’s environment is littered with temptation.

Some situations lend themselves to more temptation than others. Working around attractive people, especially where the male-female ratio is skewed in the cheater’s favor, creates a likely backdrop for cheating. Work that requires lots of one-on-one interaction, touching and/or personal disclosure also makes cheating more likely.

4. They are prone to it.

Sadly it is true that some people are more prone to cheating than others. I mentioned the so-called cheating gene above, but there are other factors that make one person more likely to cheat than another. Sorry guys, but by virtue of your higher levels of testosterone, as males you are more likely to cheat. People who are more open-minded are also more likely to cheat, as they tend to have a more fluid perspective on this and all matters. Finally, people who are less sympathetic, less eager to please and less aware of how their actions impact others (AKA narcissists), are more likely to cheat.

Read more on this: 12 rationalizations that cheaters use

Next up: How to prevent cheating in your relationship…

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Raised in California and North Carolina, Jen is both an actress and a writer. She loves writing fiction, especially for young adults, and exercising her non-fiction muscles through Urbanette and her chocolate blog: Chocofiles. Jen also loves adventures, yoga, live music and spontaneous dance parties.

Reader Discussion: 53 Comments

  1. The biggest reason for cheating is a lack of emotional connection or the feeling that you’re not appreciated by your partner as much as you deserve. Anyone could resort to cheating as a way to getting everything they lack where they are person even if it means going out of the relationship to achieve that. From an evolutionary perspective, a tendency for an individual to commit an infidelity stems from an attempt to increase the reproductive success at the expense of their partners.

  2. People cheating in relationship just because they find someone more beautiful girl or handsome guy. Or Find someone more financial strong Or Lack of physical intimacy in relationship these will the main important reasons people cheat in relationship.

  3. Why even bother giving people reasons to cheat? We won’t understand their reasons simply because we won’t do it. Cheating is a choice! and it is a wrong choice no matter what!

  4. The reasons are not important. Once you cheat nobody cares what your reason is. all the other one is gonna understand is you are a cheater!

  5. joseph pilar

    in all honesty, having been cheated on feels like shit. ladies cheat to replace, they don’t know how to play and just test the waters. they commit to whomever they are cheating with and invest feelings. fuck that shit, do you even know how guys feel after being cheated on? it’s like having been kicked in the nuts 57 times per second on a span of 3-5 years. you say we move on fast? I say it just doesn’t show. last words I will say to you those of you who cheated will cheat and probably go to them side dudes. y’all need Jesus!

  6. Osana Smith

    How can some people manage on cheating the person that they love? For me, it was a cruel thing to do.

  7. Jodi Thil

    You shouldn’t cheat when your not happy anymore. Have morals with yourself!

  8. Candis Melton

    Yes, it’s true. It’s better to broke up than to cheat. Cheating is such a wrong solution to be! Never right.

  9. Kathryn Gibson

    Honesty should come right next after getting into a relationship. Relationship nowadays just broken up after getting into a problem. They don’t resolve it. They just cheat to get out of their partner.

  10. Mildred Davis

    A cheater in a relationship is a relationshit.

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